Tang raised above scales. Suggestions?

T

TheOTBalisong

Joined
Jun 28, 2012
Messages
288
So, I was filing my scales down to the tang, and everything seemed fine and dandy when I was done.

I may have forgotten about sandpaper's "material removing" properties. :rolleyes:
And didn't leave any room for sanding.
Having forgotten this, I started sanding the scales alone, without it being attached to the tang.
After I was done, I re-assembled the knife, and saw that both scales are smaller on top, then the tang.
Not by a huge amount, but very noticeable.
What would remedy this? Sandpaper, files, angle grinder, etc?

Also, any "filing down to tang" tips, or just any general tips about sanding is very appreciated.

Thanks in advanced,
Alex.
 
Also, sorry for the lack of pictures, If it's needed I'll get some up later.

And by "smaller on the top" I mean that the spine of the tang raises above the scales.
Right, hope I got everything cleared up.

Thanks,
Alex.
 
Trash it. You've screwed it up for good and nutin' can be done to save her now. Call the undertaker.



he he he :p

Alex, I may or may not have done that on occasion so I may or may not understand your frustration.

Remedy #1. Round off the entire spine/tang all the way around, just a bit. Then, sand(or more preferably-grind) the handles down, very carefully, so you have a perfectly clean 1/8" gap between slab and tang edge. Shape the top edge of the slabs and sand smooth. Reapply and pin in place.

Remedy #2. Pin the slabs in place then file(or, more preferably-grind) the tang down flush and square to the slabs-doing this right requires that the slabs are flat and true, as is the tang. Use successively finer files, then flat hard wooden blocks wrapped with sandpaper. Bring up the finish while carefully maintaining a flat/flush joint and a square edge on the slabs. Remember - metal is harder than wood and will sand down MUCH slower. Go slow and careful and it'll come out fine.

Good luck.

Peter
 
I usually leave my fixed blade full tang knives a little bit wider than what I want when finished and I mean a little. That includes the tang and scales and when I sand them down during finishing they reach the intended width together. Because scales are not as hard as the steel they will lose material faster than a tang, to prevent a huge difference I back my sandpaper with something stiff depending on how much material I want to remove from the tang. If I have center lines on the tang that need to be removed I back my sandpaper with a file till I have removed the lines or deep scracthes. I also use wood, leather and a large rubber eraser to back sandpaper when finishing, depending on where I am in the finishing of the knife. I always finish the tang and scales at the same time while the scales are attached to the tang.
 
I think you would be fine just pining the handles and grinding the tang to match. What I do is grind handles to blade then shape them. Then after gluing them up I grind the metal scales and excess epoxy of vertically. Then I do my finishing sanding. Seems to work pretty well for me.
 
Alright, thanks for the suggestions, guys.
What I did is a went back and filed the tang's spine down until it sat flush with the scales, and then a little more.
So I'd have room for sanding.

Thanks again for all the help, Hopefully I'll be a bit more tang conscious next time. :D
 
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